The Choice
by Caty C
Summary: When Bella decides after the epic battle with Victoria that she cannot live without Jacob, it brings about a battle between the Wolf Pack and the Cullen Clan. What will the results be?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Consequences

"How could you do this, Bella? After everything that he has given up for you, how could you?" Alice screamed at me. I had to admit, I did deserve it. But what choice had I? I could not live without him. He was my rock, the thing that had dragged me back to solid ground after Edward had left. Jacob was what held me together after I'd been broken apart, like glue and porcelain. I could not let him down after everything he had done for me.

"Alice, this is none of your concern. I love Edward, you know that, but he hurt me. You don't understand. Jacob is what makes the sun shine in my dark world. It is unfair to Edward, I know that, but Jacob would never hurt me the way Edward did," Reasoning with Alice was pointless now. I had tried to talk to her, calm her down, but she would not listen. She never did.

"Bella, what you don't seem to understand is that while you can live without him, he cannot and will not live without you. Wasn't his visit to the Volturi proof enough that he will not live without you in his life? You are willing to risk my brother's life for your selfishness?"

"Alice, it is not that simple. And if Edward could leave me once, and live without me, he can do it for the rest of eternity. I don't care anymore. Jacob was there for me, cared for me, and he stuck with me through all of my craziness and depression. Edward left me to die, knowing full well that Victoria could come after me in a split second. Do you think Edward could have guessed that Jacob was a werewolf and could protect me? Not even he could have known that."

Alice just looked at me, looking like she was about to cry. Alice was my best friend, and I hated to hurt her this way, but doing what I was doing was impossible to do without somebody getting hurt. I walked towards her, attempting to comfort her, but she backed away.

"Don't even think about trying to comfort me, Bella Swan. After what you've done, I don't even want to look at you. And if you think that you are going to get off that easily, well you can forget it. I am not the only one of my family who is angry about this. Rosalie was prepared to come and rip your little head off this morning after I told her. Esme was in tears, and don't even get me started on how angry Jasper and Emmett are at you. They are already talking about going to destroy the pack, and I am quite sure that Rosalie and I will be joining them."

"And what does Edward think about this? Does he support you butting into his life like this?"

"He is not against it, if that is what you mean. He is just as angry at Jacob Black as he is at you. Bella, you were his whole world. His everything, and now you have taken everything away from him. He will do whatever it takes to get you back, despite what he had said to you in the past. Just because Jacob is yours now, doesn't mean that Edward won't kill him. He will tear out Jacob Black's heart just like you tore out his. Watch out, Bella Swan. We will be coming for your pack, and for you." Alice stood up and was out of the house before I could say another word. I watched her go, feeling even worse about my decision that before. I was putting the whole pack in danger now, not just Jacob. This was going to be an ugly fight.

After the battle with Victoria and the army, I had realized that Jacob had as equal share in my heart as Edward did, and while I loved Edward in a way that nobody could imagine, I couldn't live without Jacob in my life. I got jealous every time I thought of Jacob loving anybody else but me, so I took the opportunity and seized him for my own. I knew doing so would hurt Edward in ways that I could not even dream about, but it wasn't about him. It was about what I wanted in the deepest, darkest part of my heart. And every time I accessed it, it screamed Jacob's name at me like a banshee.

I had to consider the benefits of the situation. While I wanted to be a vampire, I also could not bear to watch my family die around me while I didn't age. Jacob would age with me; we would sit on a porch swing watching our children play in our front yard. We would grow old together, and while Jacob would not be able to age for a while, at least I could grow old with him and have a normal life, though I had been anything but normal since the day I was born.

I got up off the couch, and started for the door, intending to go over to Jacob's and tell him what happened with Alice, and the terrible things Alice had said. Rushing to my car, I started it and sped down the road towards La Push. 10 minutes later, I was in Jacob's driveway.

Jacob came running out to the van, took me into his arms, and kissed me. It was like a fire burned my lips; it was a wolf thing. Their temperature was close to 108 degrees Celsius.

After about 15 more seconds of kissing, I pulled away. "Jake, we need to talk. Something terrible has happened."

"Bella, tell me what's going on. I can't stand to see you like this. What's wrong?" he asked, unaware of the bad news I was about to tell him.

"The Cullen's, they are coming. They are coming to destroy us, and the pack. Alice said that Edward wanted to hurt you, and all of his siblings are coming too. They didn't say when, but judging by how certain she sounded, it sounds like it will happen tonight."

Jacob stared at me in disbelief. After all the recent peace between the Pack and the Cullen family, it was a shock to hear now that they wanted to destroy us.

"Bella, are you sure? Is that EXACTLY what she said?"

"Yes, Jake, I'm sure. But I can't let them hurt you, I just can't. And while I don't want to see Edward get hurt, I can't let him hurt you either. I don't know what to do, Jake. I really don't." I burst into tears, letting Jacob hug me and try to comfort me, though I knew he was the one that was going to need comforting. If Emmett and Jasper were going to fight, the wolves were bound to lose a brother.

"Bella, we need to go tell Sam. Get the Pack together, and get ready for this battle. Alice probably already knows that you have come here to tell me, so they are going to be ready for us. We just need to be one step ahead of them."

We stood there for a few more moments before Jacob phased and he was running through the forest with me on his back towards where the pack usually met: Emily's house. We got there in less than 5 minutes, and before I knew it, the whole pack was there.

"Sam, we need to talk. Bella has just told me that the Cullen children plan on attacking us tonight. According to Bella, Alice said they will destroy us for what Bella and I did."

There was a long silence before anyone spoke again. But Paul eventually broke the silence and said, "Who do they think they are, threatening us like that? This is ridiculous. They are going to cross a line."

"Bella, when did they say the attack would take place?" Sam asked me.

"From the way Alice sounded, it seemed like they were going to march on La Push tonight."

The whole pack growled. I knew that this was going to be tough. We weren't ready, and although we had strength in numbers, the Cullen's had Jasper and Emmett. They were the strongest of the whole clan, stronger than Edward even. Emmett had the kind of brute strength that a newborn vampire had, and Jasper had experience fighting armies of vampires. This was going to be a tough fight, and I knew that I would lose some of my friends on both sides in the process.

"Well, brothers, get ready. It looks like we will have a long night ahead of us," Sam shouted, and just as quickly as they had come, they were all gone, leaving Jacob and I alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Love is forever

Jacob and I had a few minutes alone, which I was glad for and could tell that he was too. Jacob looked really nervous, and while I had no idea what it was about, I could guess.

"Jake, are you worried about the fight?" I asked. He was silent; he looked like he couldn't figure out a way to say something.

"Bella, you know that I have loved you since I met you, and I know that it has only been until recently that you returned these feelings. But I know, deep down, that we will be together forever, no matter what. And I know that we are both very young, and that I am 2 years younger than you, but I am not going to age for a while so I don't see a point in putting this off."

I knew then what Jacob was going to say, what he was about to do. I shivered, I could not handle 2 of these things in one month. Though I loved Jacob and was sure that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, I didn't think I was ready for this.

"Jake, I….."

"Bella Swan, I love you with every warm fiber of my being. You are what matters most to me in the world, and I would be extremely happy if you would marry me." Jacob pulled out a small box from his pocket, and I froze. Oh My God, it was happening again.

This was too much, and before I could even reply, he opened the box.

The ring was small, white gold I was guessing, with a diamond shaped like a wolf howling on it. It was even more beautiful than the ring Edward had given me before I broke his heart. Jacob slipped it onto my finger before I had a chance to say anything.

"Jake, I…. I don't know what to say."

"Say yes, Bella. I love you more than anything else in the world, and I would be the happiest werewolf on earth if you said yes." The smile that lit up his face then was like the light of the sun. That is when I knew what to say.

"Yes, Jacob. I will marry you."

The Smile on Jacob's face after that is what convinced me that the choice I was making was the right one. It was a combination of sunshine and love, all wrapped up into one perfect smile that lit up the world. It brought a smile to my lips, just seeing him happy.

"Jake, what is Billy going to think? What is Charlie going to think? I mean, you are only 16, and I'm 2 years older than you. Are they going to be ok with this?"

"Charlie has wanted you to pick me since the beginning, and Billy will be ok in time. I may be young in years, but I won't age for a long time, so why not now? Why wait? Billy and Charlie will just be happy that we are together."

"Yah, I know. Hopefully Charlie doesn't freak out about this, I mean, we are pretty young. But you're right, why not? If I was willing to marry a vampire this young, why can't I marry you?"

Jacob and I just stood there for a while, looking into each other's eyes, and into our future. I knew this was the right thing to do, and for once, I was doing something not just to please someone else, but to ensure my own happiness. With Edward, it seemed to always be about keeping me safe and never about doing what I wanted. With Jacob, not only was I going to be safe but we would have fun, we could do things I wanted to do without worrying about my safety. I would always be safe with Jacob, he would never have to worry about hurting me when he kissed me or touched me.

After what seemed like forever, we finally pulled away from each other and got up to leave for Sam and Emily's house. The Pack was preparing for a huge blowout with the Cullen's, and as Sam's second-in-command, Jacob had to be there. Jacob was one of the best fighters the wolves had, aside from Sam and Paul. We arrived just and Embry and Quil were arriving, and headed into the house.

"Alright, brothers, we need to figure out what we are going to do. Now, as Bella has told us, we are in for a fight against the Cullen's this evening. While we may have battled beside them in the past, we cannot let this threat be cast aside. The Cullen's have waged war, and we will answer their call. Jacob, what are your thoughts on the matter?" Sam spoke like a leader, like instead of doing this for close to a year and a half, he had been doing this for a lifetime.

"As far as I am aware, Dr and Mrs. Cullen will not be fighting tonight. It's only the siblings that will be fighting. Now, if I know the Cullen's, they will use their best fighters to fight out best fighters, which means that Jasper and Emmett will be trying to take Paul and Sam down. Edward will probably come for me, so the rest of the pack will have to kill whoever they can. Once we have taken Jasper and Emmett, the rest will be a piece of cake."

I shuddered at the thought of killing the Cullen's, but if my former family was going to try to destroy my new one, then maybe they deserved it. Jacob was my life now, and Edward had always promised that if I were to choose Jacob, he would accept defeat quietly and wait in the wings for me to change my mind. I guess this was their way of saying they weren't going to wait for me to change my mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Meeting with the Enemy

My phone started to ring just after the wolves and I had gone in to eat. Quietly, I left the table and answered my phone. It was a number that had called me many times before, and I was surprised it was calling now.

"Edward, what do you want?"

"Bella, let me explain. Please, just give me a moment of your time."

"I have nothing to say to you. What the hell is the matter with you? Do you think that killing Jacob will make me come running back to you? That is not how it works."

"I cannot do this over the phone. Please, will you meet with me?"

I paused for a moment, considering carefully my answer. This sounded like a trap to me, but I knew Edward would never hurt me.

"Fine, be at the border in 5 minutes. Edward, don't keep me waiting," I hung up the phone and raced back inside. I told Jacob that Edward had called, and that I was going to meet with him. Though Jacob didn't seem to like the idea, Sam sure did.

"This is a good thing, Bella, maybe you can find out their plan. I am sure that Edward would tell you anything."

I rushed out the door and into my car. The borderline between Cullen and Wolf Pack territory was not 5 minutes from Emily's house. And as I could already guess, Edward was already there, waiting for me. The way he looked almost made me cry. His eyes, while still the same vibrant gold they had been, were now outlined by black circles that I was sure were from grief. He did not dress in his usual, fashionable way either. This time, he wore a dark brown jacket with a pair of worn jeans and a white t-shirt. This was what I had done to him, I had turned him from an angel into an average person. I felt horrible.

"Hello, Bella. It is nice to see that you are well."

"Cut the crap, Edward. What do you want?"

"I just want to explain. The only reason we are doing this is for your sake. I….I can't lose you. And there is always a risk with a werewolf. You could be standing too close and end up like Emily."

"So what, you think that killing my love will make me come crawling back to you? That is not how it works. If you really wanted me, you would fight for me, and against me."

"Bella, love, I just don't want you to get hurt. Like I said, there is always a r….."

"Please, Edward, spare me the talk of risks. There is always a risk with you, isn't there? You couldn't kiss me for too long, or you could risk hurting me. You couldn't turn me into a vampire, or you could risk destroying my soul. I've had it, Edward. If you really loved me, you wouldn't be doing this."

"Bella, you know I love you, but I have to try and fight to get you back. This seems to be the only way to do it. And if I have to kill Jacob to win your heart, then I will. We will meet in the clearing like always, but this time, we will be fighting the wolves and winning you back."

"My heart won't be won by killing Jacob, you will just tear it apart."

"Just like you tore out mine."

That was the last straw. Edward was angry, that much I could tell, but I was guessing by the tone of his voice that this was not his choice, he simply had to fight to protect his brothers and sisters, not to hurt me. Still, I had to get away from him. Being this close to him, feeling his cool breath on my face, was bringing back memories that I didn't care to remember. Besides, I had to be with Jacob for a short time, especially if the Cullen's were this hell bent on bringing me back to their side. I got into my car and sped away, watching Edward's sad face drop behind me in the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

The Battle

I sped inside Emily's house and right into Jacob's arms, crying as I went. I knew I only had a few minutes before we would have to leave for the clearing, and I wanted to spend as much time as I had with him.

"Bella, it's going to be ok. If it goes well, the Cullen's will be defeated and we can go back to being in love and living our lives," I knew Jacob was trying to comfort me, but at this point, nothing would comfort me.

"Jake, I don't want them to get hurt. I don't want YOU to get hurt. I'm just hoping that both sides will go away with who they came with. I can't lose them, and I won't loose any of the pack."

Just as I was about to kiss Jacob, Sam and Emily came inside and informed us that it was time to go. This was it, the battle was about to begin. And it was all my fault.

Jacob phased, I got onto his back, and off we ran. The clearing was about 5 minutes away, maybe quicker since all the brothers were in their wolf form, and running like the speed of sound. We got their just after the Cullen's, who were waiting on the other side of the clearing. We walked cautiously forward, and I slid of Jacob's back and went to stand beside Emily. Jasper and Emmett had smug grins on their faces, like they knew they were going to win. This was going to be a tough fight.

Jasper stepped forward and began to speak.

"I am presuming that you all know why we are here, so I will cut the pleasantries and begin. Bella Swan betrayed my brother's love and trust for Jacob Black, and for that, it is the shared belief that you all must be punished. May the best side win." And with that, the battle started.

Wolf ran at Vampire with crazy speed, and they began tackling and trying to break each other apart. I cried into Emily's shoulder, not being able to watch, when I heard a loud scream.

"Everyone STOP!"

Everyone stopped fighting and turned to Edward, which is who the scream had come from.

"We can't do this, not without hurting Bella. Can you not see that this is hurting her? I never wanted this; I didn't want to hurt her. I just wanted to get revenge on Jacob Black. But now I see that it will not be possible without hurting Bella."

I could not believe my ears, as I am sure that nobody else could. Edward was trying to stop the fight, though they were here fighting for or against him.

"If Bella loves Jacob, then that is that. Let's just go home, and let them live their lives in peace. We cannot fight those we once called our friends."

The Cullen's let go of the wolves they were fighting and looked at Edward in utter disbelief. They were here, trying to win his love back, and he didn't want them too. I could tell he was doing this for me.

"Let's go, everyone," Alice called to the rest of the Cullen's and they ran out of the field. All except Edward. He ran over to me.

"Bella, I am so sorry for what could have happened here tonight. Know that I do this because I love you, and don't want you to be hurt by my selfishness. If you truly love Jacob Black, then I will respect that and leave you two alone. Goodbye, Bella." Edward kissed my cheek and was gone faster than I could say anything back to him.

The next sound I heard was the sound of 10 cheers. All of the wolves were back in their human form, cheering and whooping like they had indeed won a battle. Jacob came running over to me, and gave me a big bear hug before he kissed me. It was a kiss of victory, like he had finally won, though he had won my heart before this moment.

We left the clearing and all returned to Sam and Emily's house. Crowding into the living room of the tiny house, we waited for Sam to speak.

"Today was a victory, brothers, and while it may not seem as so, it was. We have kept the tribe safe for another day, and protected Bella and Jacob as well. We will remember this day always, the day a war was almost fought for love, and while the battle never truly started, it was the start of something else."

Jacob and I looked at each other and smiled. We knew what he was going to say before everyone else did.

"It was the start of a brighter future, a future for Bella and Jacob."

The boys let out a howl of cheer as Jacob and I kissed. We kissed to our future, together no matter what.


End file.
